If life is a chemical incident, just the way Paul Ehrlich described it as a school boy, then I should admit that medicine catalysed mine. The first phase of my life as a medical student ends this November, with a bang, I should say. A bunch of passionately curious souls began to ponder ways to create the ‘Erudite Conclave 2011’, an event showcasing the life and works of pioneers of human knowledge and its spirit, the unifying theme between them being the spark of creative inquisitiveness, ingenuity and artistry.

The maestros who enlighten the conclave include those to whom I always dreamt of listening:

• Rolf M Zinkernagel, Nobel Laureate, through his talk, The Beginners guide to the Nobel Prize, will take the listener through the mind and thoughts of a scientist. He will discuss the ups and downs of experimenting in science and why the scientist is always delighted at an unexpected result.
• The life story of Sanduk Ruit, a Nepal born Ophthalmic Surgeon is worth being chronicled among the best of men alive. The Magsaysay award winner was born in a remote village in Eastern Nepal…so remote that the nearest school was a week’s walk away. His brain child, the innovative small-incision cataract surgery with the use of inexpensive intraocular lenses has enabled hundreds of thousands of poor cataract patients of Nepal and other countries to regain their sight.

Siddhartha Mukherjee, in his book on cancer, ‘The Emperor of All Maladies’, explains that music and medicine often “go hand in hand. Both push manual skill to the limit; both mature with practice; both depend on immediacy, precision and opposable thumbs.” I was therefore delighted to know the conclave would also feature eminent musicians like Balabhaskar. Medicine, tech and management students will also be able to collaborate in solving two issues of social relevance. The first is the issue of waste management for the city of Trivandrum, Kerala. The second is formulation of solutions for improving the screening of cervical cancer with the aid of image processing technology. The presented work will be judged by the faculty panel of experts from all three institutions. There will also be presentations from students from medical and engineering fields.

Attending the conclave is very much in my ‘to-do list in this life time’. Prone to sore throat, I have already quit ice creams…at least 'til November when the event happens. I hope the Erudite Conclave 2011 will be a new beginning in the educational culture of developing countries.

Nithin Jayan (aka Half Doc) belongs to the class of 2005 MBBS, Government Medical College Trivandrum. He lives a life defined by his 3 dreams - 'a Song, a Stethoscope and a Book'.

This blog has been corrected as Sidhartha Mukherjee will not be at the Conclave (25 Oct 2011).